


Taken

by GoddessofRoyalty



Series: DC Omegaverse [9]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bat Family, Batfamily Feels, Gen, Human Trafficking, Kidnapping, Pack Dynamics, Pack Family, Pack Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-19 12:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19356850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessofRoyalty/pseuds/GoddessofRoyalty
Summary: Prompt: [Dick] goes a bit overboard during a rescue when pup/baby!omega-Damian gets kidnapped as a civilian by someone





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: kidnapping, human trafficking, 
> 
> So I used this prompt and wrote it for three days of the omega!Dick week. So thanks for it because it really worked well for this.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3 Maternal Instincts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoe-horned in Macguffin is shoe-horned in and I hate it but still couldn’t think of anything better. 
> 
> This is also the only chapter with a scene break. No, I don’t care anymore.

Dick doesn’t remember all that much after he saw the news.

He knows the events that followed more as logical facts than tangible memories. He knows he contacted his work to get time off. Knows he packed up everything he could need then got on his bike and drove to Gotham. Yet he doesn’t remember doing any of that. His mind completely occupied by the breaking report from Gotham. His mind completely occupied by the news that Damian Wayne had been kidnapped.

And he knows that Damian can take care of himself plenty. But there’s only so much he can do as Damian Wayne without also risking revealing that he is Robin. Instead having to act the scared pup of Bruce Wayne.

It’s lucky that Dick knows the way to Wayne Manor on autopilot considering how little attention he is giving to what he is doing. Too busy going over what little information the news report gave to try and figure out who took Damian.

It’s frustrating to have too little information to go on.

Bruce should have more though. So Dick wastes little time when arriving at the Manor, parking his bike quickly and hurrying inside without much thought about anything else.

Commissioner Gordon is sitting across from Bruce in the main greeting-room and Dick probably should feel bad for not having noticed the police car also parked out front. He doesn’t care though the fact of needing to know what is happening about Damian.

“Has anything else happened?” he asks as Bruce gets up to meet him. His father’s hands gently coming to rest on his shoulders to ground him. Bringing Dick back to himself and the fact Jim doesn’t know why they really are. But that doesn’t change how much Dick needs to know that there is at least a lead in this. “Sorry, I just heard the news and came immediately.”

“You’re concern is completely understandable,” Jim says as Dick lets Bruce lead him back to the seat that previously just contained the alpha of their pack.

“Have the others heard?” Are they working on finding where Damian has been taken while Bruce plays grieving alpha for the police?

“Alfred is working on contacting them.” Or: because of what they are doing as vigilantes they are out of contact range currently.

It’s just him and Bruce. And Dick is glad he dropped everything because Damian deserves as much attention as possible.

“As you were saying Jim,” Bruce says, sounding every bit the worried, helpless, father. He reaches out to rest a hand on Dick’s arm as if to remind himself that at least one of his children is safe and with him, as much as Dick could hardly be considered a ‘pup’ of the pack anymore.

“Right, you will probably hear from the kidnappers in the next couple of days asking for a ransom,” Commissioner Gordon says. “Although considering his age there is always the chance they will wait to see what he presents as.”

The Commissioner doesn’t say it but everyone in the room knows the outcomes that might result if they do that. If Damian presents as either alpha or beta he will be returned at whatever the expected ransom price may be. If he presents as omega than that price will go up, or, he’ll be sold either as a common piece of human trafficking or with intent at buying the right to the Wayne fortune from mating one of Bruce’s omega heirs. Auctioned off for his bloodline.

Of course there are a number of possibilities to be ruled out before worrying the pup’s father over such a horrifying possibility so Gordon doesn’t mention it. Yet.

“Of course,” Bruce says, “I will contact you if I hear anything from the kidnappers at all.”

“Thank you,” Gordon says with a nod. “I promise you Bruce, the GCP will do everything we can to ensure your sons safe return.”

“Thank you Jim,” Bruce says with a small nod of a distressed father still trying to meet social niceties. “Dick can you take him out.”

“Don’t worry,” Gordon says as Dick gets up with him. “I know my way out.”

Dick doesn’t bother insisting. It will be expected that he be as in shock as Bruce. Probably more so seeing he’s an omega. Plus, he wants to know what else Bruce knows and start working on finding Damian immediately.

“What happened?” he asks once they hear the click of the front door.

“They grabbed him while he was leaving school. Blended in with the crowd of parents and chauffers,” Bruce explains and Dick can hear him slip into Batman. Treating it like a case and not their pack’s pup.

Dick wishes he could do the same.

“Security cameras?”

“They knew where they were and kept their faces hidden.” So very possibly someone involved works or worked at the school. Or they just found the plans for the security systems and camera locations.

“Damn it,” Dick gets up to start to pace. Unable to stand being idle anymore. “What about those around the school? The other buildings?” 

“Oracle’s working on it.”

“Good,” Dick says, running his hand through his hair. “What else can we do?”

“Nothing until tonight,” Bruce says, standing as well. “How long do you plan on staying?”

“Until we find him again.”

“Dick-“

“Don’t. He’s my brother. I’m not going to abandon him. Do you not want my help?”

“Of course I want your help, he’s my son.”

“Good,” Dick says before Bruce has a chance to add anything else. “I’ll go unpack then.”

He isn’t actually mad at Bruce as much as he’s sure Bruce now thinks he is. He’s just frustrated. And Bruce will probably never understand why. He might be Damian’s father but Dick is-

Is what? An omega? Way to send the omega lib movement back like 20 years. He’s not more emotionally fragile than an alpha. But Damian was the Robin to his Batman and while Bruce is Batman again and Robin staying with him, Dick hopes his bond with Damian forged by their time as partners never breaks.

Damian’s not actually his pup, but right now Dick feels like an anxious parent. Terrified of what might be happening to their pup right now.

Dick knows the ugly side of Gotham. His concern is valid.

But is it valid? Sitting in his old room in the Wayne Manor worrying instead of doing anything towards rescuing Damian. But he can’t do anything until night when Batman and Nightwing can start actively working the case. Can see the crime scene and find their own evidence.

The hours until nightfall pass. But they pass in an anxious agony for Dick with no task to fill him time that doesn’t feel disrespectful to Damian’s situation. He ends up wondering down the cave earlier than necessary, suiting up and just pacing around until Bruce shows up and the two of them head out.

“Commissioner,” Batman says as the two land next to the cordoned-off crime-scene outside Damian’s school.

“I figure you caught it on the news?” Jim asks.

“Wayne is a big name in this city.”

“That he is, shame that hasn’t seemed to protect his pack in this instance,” Jim says with a sigh. “If you’ve watched the news reports I’m sorry to say there isn’t much more we can give you. Damian Wayne was taken in the afternoon pick up from his school. The kidnappers apparently knew where all the cameras were so we don’t have any images of their faces. And with all the people passing through collecting children impossible to get any DNA on them. Currently I’m just hoping that Mr Wayne gets a ransom call so we can go from there.”

“Do you mind if we have a look?”

“Sure – wouldn’t be the first time you’ve found something we’ve missed,” the Commissioner says with a level of resignation as he steps aside. Calling off his investigative officers so that the two vigilantes can have their chance to find any clues.

In a way they have a particularly unfair advantage in this case. They know that the kidnapee is also Robin and therefore are looking not just for evidence accidently left behind by the criminals but also clues consciously left by Damian as he was taken.

The Commissioner is right in that with the amount of traffic also filling the space clues are hard to come by.  The only reason they can follow the path the kidnappers take is because of the security footage.

But there, hidden in the bushes is a pen with a scrap of fabric tied to it in a way that no-one would do unless they were trying to make sure the two stayed together. That the pen gave enough weight for the fabric not to blow away and be able to be found.

Damian left them a clue. Clothing from one of the people who took him. They just have to hope it has enough information to find out where they might be.

 

* * *

 

 

The next two days pass in much the same way. Both Dick and Bruce, Nightwing and Batman, tirelessly working at trying to figure out who took Damian and where.

The lack of ransom call confirms the kidnappers are likely waiting for Damian to present. On one hand it means Damian should be safe until then – the kidnappers will want to keep him relatively healthy until they find out his real value. On the other hand that means they don’t know the deadline to find him.

Damian could present literally any day. And when he does things will immediately move very quickly.

They need to find him before that.

The scrap of fabric is being frustratingly unhelpful. Revealing nothing of immediately use despite all of both Bruce and Oracle’s systems going over it.

At least Gotham is content to allow him and Bruce their isolation. Dick doesn’t think he could bare having to go out to a gala or party and play the teasing eldest omega son of the Wayne pack right now. Not when he could be doing something that could lead to him finding and rescuing his brother, only resting when Alfred forces the two of them to – telling them it’s not point working themselves to the point where they can no longer focus on what is going on.

At least he lets the two of them trade off. One always going through the few clues they have to try and figure out where Damian went while the other eats or sleeps.

The fact is though that they need more help.

The fact is that everyone else is off on their own missions and out of contact range.

At least Tim should be back that day. The message finally able to get through to the Titans as they returned from a mission in space last night. If their estimates are correct he should be back on the planet now and heading back to Gotham.

Going by the alarm going off the trip was made by ‘air Superboy’ as the elder of the shared-holders of that title had dubbed it.

There isn’t anything else to do right now but wait for another analysis of the fabric to go through so Dick climbs up the stairs from the Batcave into the main manor. Meeting Alfred as he goes to the door to let Tim in.

“Are you sure you don’t need our help?” Conner is asking Tim on the footsteps of the manor when the open the doors, his arms still resting on Tim’s shoulders. A side-glance from Tim to them confirms he knows they’re there but he doesn’t acknowledge them immediately.

“There’s nothing you can right now, but I promise to contact you if there is,” Tim says, hand coming up to gently rest on Conner’s.

“Alright,” Conner says, drawing back before slowly flying off. Dick knows he keeps his eyes on them until he’s too far away to actually see them.

And Dick is glad that Tim found a pack of his own. Glad his brother has people his own age that he trusts to watch his back implicitly. People he might very well spend the rest of his life with.

Right now though, their pack needs him. And they need his complete attention.

Thankfully, Tim already knows that.

“What happened?” he asks as he walks up the steps to the manor. Dick and Alfred fill him in as they make their way back to the Batcave. Tim asking questions where there are clear gaps in information. Most of the time they don’t have any actual answers for him.

It’s frustrating how little they still know. Sure the kidnappers knew they were taking Bruce Wayne’s son but their level of competence is still surprisingly high. Frustrating in how good of a job they seem to have done in covering their tracks.

“And you’re running the tests again?” Tim asks when they reach the Batcave, looking up at the screen still informing that the tests are processing.

“Maybe it missed something the first time.” And also the other two they ran it.

“Okay, I’ll take over waiting for the results, you go get some rest,” Tim says going to sit down at the computer.

“I’m fine, me and B have been trading off-“

“The hours you weren’t both out looking for him. I have fresh eyes Dick, let me have a look over things while you get some sleep. I promise to wake you if I find anything.”

“He’s right, you will be no use to Master Damian if you are too tired to act when we find anything,” Alfred adds. And with the two of them against him Dick knows he doesn’t stand a chance at winning a contrary argument. Despite the fact he technically outranks them in the pack, he isn’t Bruce, and there isn’t actually anything for him to do down here if Tim has taken over the tests.

“You’re right,” Dick says, “I’ll be in my room.”

He does go to his room. He just also doesn’t go to sleep like was implied by him agreeing to leave Tim to it. Instead he tries Jason’s phone number again because it’s better than just sitting there doing nothing while Damian is missing.

The first time he calls the number ends much the same as every other time, ringing out with no connection.

The second is the same.

The third though it actually connects.

“What do you want Dickface?” Jason says on the other end.

“Have you been watching the news?”

“I have been in deep cover in the middle of a forest where I couldn’t even get a phone-call out if I wanted. No I have not been watching the news.”

On one hand it means Jason hadn’t been wilfully ignoring Damian’s kidnapping but on the other Dick finds himself frustrated at how hard it has been to contact the other members of the pack. Cass also still off on some mission that has her uncontactable for at least another 2 days.

Packs are supposed to have each other’s back when they need it. Not take 3-5 business days to even get back to each other!

“Damian’s been kidnapped.”

“So? Why should I care if he stabs a couple of guys who thought it was a good idea to nab Robin – they deserve it as far as I’m concerned.”

“No, I mean Damian has been kidnapped as _Damian,_ not Robin.” Dick has to force himself to remember that Jason doesn’t know. He isn’t being uncaring intentionally. Probably.

“And how long ago was he taken?”

“Two days.” Some of the longest two days in Dick’s life. In a way it was a blessing that he hadn’t known when Jason had gone missing all those years ago – he didn’t have to endure the horrible unknowning of if Damian is even alive anymore.

“Right, fuck, okay, look I won’t be back in Gotham for at least another day but I’ll start making some phone calls to see if anyone has heard anything that might fit with this. Have you contacted Talia yet?”

“No.”

“You might want to – she might be a bitch but he’s still her son.”

“I know, but-“ Dick knows Talia would send resources to help in finding Damian. But those resources could not themselves be trusted not to just carve a bloody path until they find him. And then there is the risk that she will decide them no longer able to properly care for Damian and take him back under her tutelage.

Considering he got kidnapped while in their care it might be a position validly supported.

No. No being with Talia isn’t right for Damian – he belongs in Bruce’s pack, in the Wayne pack.

They can find him without her help.

“- I’ll think about it.” Dick still knows better than to completely rule it out as an option.

“If that’s the call you want to make.” There’s no actual judgement in Jason’s tone, but Dick still feels like it is implied. Like he should be using every resource available to find Damian. And he is. Talia is just not a resource that can be trusted as efficient as she may be. “Anyway, I got to go, I do still have something to do to call this case closed. Then I’ll start making phone-calls about your case.”

“Call me if you find out anything actionable where I am.” Dick refuses to let them wait even a day to act on information just because Jason isn’t back in Gotham yet.

“’Course,” Jason says before hanging up.

And Dick should probably sleep. Both Tim and Jason are bringing fresh eyes and fresh contacts to finding Damian. There is nothing Dick can do until one of them find a new lead.

He can’t sleep though. So he scrolls through his contacts until he lands on Talia’s number.

It isn’t actually her number. But the number to a burner phone that she checks for messages somewhat regularly. It was given to him as a way to contact her about Damian should he need to. For ‘emergencies only’, as if he would be contacting her for anything else. He knows if he leaves a message about Damian being kidnapped she will call him back. Hell, she might even forego the phone-call and just show up to talk to them in person about what is being done to find her son.

And she would help. And quite possibly find Damian.

But Dick can’t trust her not to become a complication in the situation. So he doesn’t ring the number.

Dick sits on the edge of his bed.

He should sleep. That was the whole reason he was sent out of the cave. And the logic of Tim and Alfred is sound – if there isn’t anything for Dick to do he should rest so when there is something he is in his best form. But Dick can’t stand the idea that there isn’t anything for him to do. He is one of the Heads of the Wayne pack, like it or not, and he should be doing everything he can to get the pack’s pup back to safety.

Still, sleep is at least worth a try.

Dick lies in the bed and tries to get himself to sleep. He really does. But his mind refuses to turn off – going over what he knows of the case again and again to see if he can figure out some angle they’ve missed. Some clue that could be looked at in a different way that might that would hold the solution.

He eventually falls asleep. 


	2. Day 4 - Kidnapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I call this chapter: Cameos. 
> 
> Also Gus is here because I like him even though this is set in the old not-Rebirth universe.

It’s been a week and they have heard nothing. No ransom being called, no dead body being found, and even no omega-auctions or trafficking happening. With Oracle and Jason’s resources on keeping track of Gotham’s underground for anything that would seem like news there is a good chance nothing has happened.

Unless it is something really big. But even then they should have heard something more by now.

With nothing happening it is more likely the kidnappers are waiting for Damian to present. How long they are willing to wait for and what they will do should it be deemed too long or Damian does present are the more pressing concerns now.

They need to find him.

Dick needs to find him.

Dick struggles to care about the other crime going on in Gotham as he swings through on his nightly patrol. All of it just a distraction from getting Damian back. Which isn’t fair, he knows, but it’s hard to care when his pack is facing such a serious threat.

Maybe if he swings by the Clock Tower Oracle’s searches might have found something. Sure she would contact him if that were the case but just in case he could go check. His planned sweep through Gotham even goes past and he’s only doing this to keep himself busy while he stays in Gotham waiting for news of Damian, not because it’s his actual patrol run.

There isn’t much crime on Dick’s way through Gotham. Certainly nothing that requires him stopping to deal with it past a quick swing down to intimate low-level muggers back home for the night.

He reaches the Clock Tower in decent time. Making his way past the security systems into the main area of the Tower where a person who is not Barbara is working at the computer.

“Who are you?” Has Barbara been kidnapped as well? Damian’s kidnapping actually done by someone who knows their identities but just picked a time where he wouldn’t be able to fight back? And now what – are they going through Oracle’s data to figure out how to pick the rest of them off?

The person at the computer gives a small scream, apparently startled. And maybe Dick should have taken the advantage of the goon not knowing he was there to pin them, but he wants information and throwing them off balance the best way to get it.

“Oh, it’s just Nightwing,” the male beta says after turning around before the situation hits him. “Oh Nightwing! Babara didn’t tell me you were coming.”

Great – a fanboy villain who believes he’s actually friends with them. Oracle does seem to attract them.

“Where is she?” Dick already has one pack member in danger he can’t lose another as well. And he doesn’t have the time to play along with some tech henchperson’s delusions. He needs to know where Barbara is now.

“Downstairs, probably sleeping? She traded off with me about an hour ago? But you think I kidnapped her or something,” the Beta says catching on. “No, I, I’m like her apprentice, I guess?”

“So why haven’t I met you yet?” Barbara would have introduced him to any apprentice she took. She introduced him to Misfit when she took her on. And considering that according to this kid she’s taken him on as a student to her role as Oracle it would be even more pressing to ensure he got a pass by the rest of the Bats seeing Oracle has access to everyone’s secret identities.

“Uh, because I’ve kind of been on probation,” the beta says, apparently ashamed.

Before Dick has a chance to continue his questioning and figure out where Barbara is there’s a snap and Misfit is in the room looking ready to fight. It takes her a second to assess the situation and then she drops her guard.

“What the hell? Why did you put the alert on – it’s just Nightwing!” she says to the beta, like she knows and expects him to be there.

“He scared me! And doesn’t believe that I’m on the in. Can you tell him that Barbara left me in charge here,” the beta says gesturing at Dick before turning around to quickly input some keystrokes into the computer. Probably to disable whatever alarm he set off.

“Yeah Gus is legit,” Misfit says, “and useful in that there’s less pressure on me to learn all this computer stuff and can instead focus on fieldwork. If you want Babs though I can go get her-“

“It’s alright, I’m already here,” Barbara says wheeling into the room. She looks like she’s just woken up from a nap and Dick does feel a little guilty in disturbing her. He shouldn’t have come. “Can you two give us a moment?”

The other two agree and leave the room. And Dick is fairly sure he can hear an excited keen from the second Oracle that is quickly hushed by Misfit once they are out of the room.

“So-“ he doesn’t actually ask because he knows Barbara will know what he’s talking about.

“That was Gus – he figured out who we, as in my team, are, and handed in a resume that involved hacking my system and leading us through a hunt through Gotham.”

“And you decided to make him a second Oracle?” Without even discussing it with him or Bruce?

Barbara gives him an unimpressed look because she knows what he’s thinking. And while the Birds of Prey might be strongly connected to the Batpack they aren’t actually a part of it and Barbara has no obligation to run decisions past the heads of the other pack. Much like they don’t run all their decisions past her.

“He’s a good kid at heart and wants to help.”

“So you let him become Oracle?” He isn’t here to fight. But Oracle is one of the most powerful members of the entire hero community – to trust it to some kid that isn’t part of their pack?

“I get that you’re stressed and worried and I am to but that was a decision for me to make and I made it. I was going to introduce him to you but with what happened I thought it would be better to wait,” Barbara says, going over to the computer. “I normally only let him on when I’m there to watch, but I didn’t want something to be found while I was asleep and he has proven to be trustworthy enough for that.”

Dick wants to trust her. He does. But he also needs to protect his pack and while Barbara’s pack technically a separate one, she, at least, still feels like pack to him.

“Has anything happened.”

“Gus should have woken me if it has but give me a minute to double-check,” Barbara says, her hands flying across the keys to go through whatever running tests and alerts they have on where Damian might be. “No, nothing new.”

“Damn it.” He knew that would be the most likely conclusion while heading over. He knew that and yet still hearing it hurts. Because he had hoped they would have found something anyway. Something actionable which would bring Damian home to them.

“Dick-“ Barbara turns to face him, her arms open and Dick can’t refuse the invitation. Resting his head into the crook of her shoulder during the hug to take in her calming alpha scent. “We’ll find him.”

“I know.” There isn’t any other option but to find Damian.

“But you can’t let it consume you. You’re becoming obsessive and you know that isn’t going to help,” Barbara continues, her hand gently running through Dick’s hair because right now it isn’t about whether they’re still in a relationship or not but about comforting each other. “Maybe you should pick up another case.”

“No.” He can hardly believe she would suggest it. Damian’s _missing_ – Dick has to focus on getting him back. He can afford to not give it his fully attention and Damian too important not to.

“I’m not saying to abandon him, just, working on something else might give you a fresh perspective.”

“I can’t Babs.” He can’t risk missing something because his focus was somewhere else. “Not until he comes back.”

Barbara sighs, but her hand doesn’t stop its slow movements through his hair. “I can’t make you do anything Dick, it’s just something to think about.”

They stay like that for longer than they probably should considering the responsibilities they both have. But it’s nice to have the comfort and understanding.

Eventually though they part. Dick swinging from the Clock Tower and finishing his sweep over Gotham before returning to the Batcave. He checks their tests and alerts again despite knowing Tim would have been running over them before heading up as the others came home and that Bruce would have checked them when he passed through as well. There’s always the chance something might have come up between then and his arrival back at the cave.

Nothing. Like all the other times but there still had been the chance of something.

Dick tells it to run the tests on the fabric scrap again. Just in case this time they reveal something.

He would have waited for the test to finish but Alfred comes and herds him up into the manor. Herds them all into the main dining room and forces them to sit and at least pretend to have dinner for him.

They all eat at least a little. Because they know Alfred is just as stressed as all of them, just as much worried about the youngest of their pack and where he might be and what might be happening to him. But Alfred also worries about them and knowing that they have at least eaten brings him some level of peace.

Dick doesn’t eat much and he knows he isn’t the only one. All three of them picking at their meals more than anything. But they eat until Alfred is satisfied and lets them leave.

Bruce heads back to the Batcave, trading off for Tim who had been working all night during patrol and through most of the day.

Dick will trade off for Bruce further in the morning. Which means right how he should be sleeping.

And he knows now to at least make a show of it. Go up to his room so everything thinks he will be getting some sleep.

And, sure, he does _try_. It’s just that he ends up tossing and turning when he does. Impossible to sleep without knowing at least a rough idea of where Damian is.

He’s still sitting on the edge of the bed contemplating sleep when his phone rings.

A glance at the screen tells him it’s Amy. And there’s a real chance she’s ringing because of something going down in Bludhaven and him being needed back. Possibly the case Barbara so sure he needs to fill his brain with something other than searching for Damian.

Dick doesn’t pick it up.

A minute after it stops ringing the phone pings with a message to tell him Amy left a message.

He should at least listen to it.

“Hey, it’s me,” Amy’s voice says from the phone when Dick plays the message. “I’m not calling you back to work so you don’t need to worry about that. I know you’re going to want to stay in Gotham until he’s found and I understand, but you also don’t have to deal with this by yourself. I get that you’re pack is well connected but there are others who want to help as well. Look, just, call me when you feel up to it alright?”  

The message ends and Dick knows he should call her back to reassure her he’s not gone off the emotional deep-end again. He knows he also needs to sleep.

Instead he just sits in the room hoping that something leading to where Damian is will come up soon.


	3. Day 5 - Batfamily

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's this done. Still two days left of omegaDickweek so I hope you enjoyed this and enjoy what's left for the week!

Dick is trying his best to focus on his patrol without thinking of how long Damian has been missing for and just how unlikely it is they will get him back. It’s frustrating and heartbreaking and he needs to find some criminals to work those emotions out on.

He’s grateful when his comms crack to life because it likely means someone has found something. Hopefully close to where he is.

“Nightwing, it’s Oracle. The, ugh, other Oracle,” the voice says. “You know – the one you thought kidnapped the first?”

“What do you have for me?” Dick asks.

“We think we found Damian.”

“Where?”

Gus rattles off the location and Dick immediately heads in the direction of it.

“Nightwing, I know where you’re going and you need to hold off.” The voice modulator might make them sound exactly the same but Dick knows it’s Barbara talking to him now. “Let us get a better idea of what is going on in there first.”

“No time.” Damian has been missing for too long already. He needs to be rescued and brought back to safety immediately. Needs to be brought back home and to the pack. “What do we know already?”

Barbara sighs and Dick is fairly sure he catches a quiet ‘sorry’ that must be from her new apprentice in the background.

“We don’t know much. Just that it is a group that traffics recently presented kids and that there’s word they’re spreading that they have a big name ready as soon as he does present.”

“And you know it’s Damian?” Dick is suddenly struck with fear of the possibility that it isn’t. Fear that the only lead they’ve gotten for weeks will turn into nothing.

“I managed to hack some of their internal cameras – didn’t show us much else but did show us Damian. We’re working on the others right now but you need to be patient.”

“Right. I’ll be there in 20 minutes. Have you contacted everyone else?”

“Yes. But Dick I think you should stay back on this one – you’ve worked yourself into the ground about this and you’ve barely slept since he was taken. You’ve become obsessive and I really don’t think it’s a good idea to go. Let the other’s rescue him and you can meet them afterwards to see that he’s okay.” 

“I appreciate the concern, but I’ll be fine. Tell them I’ll be there in 15.”

Dick turns his comms off before Babs has a chance to say anything else. He knows she could just turn it back on again if she wanted. The fact she doesn’t means she probably accepted his decision to go. Or realises how pointless continuing the argument is. He is going to be there to help recuse Damian. There is no way he will let himself be kept out of it.

He reaches the location in record time. Landing on the roof where Batman and Red Hood are.

“So we going in?”

“We’re waiting for Red Robin to arrive and then he, Red Hood and I will go in. Black Bat and Batgirl are already in position to help disable the security while we do,” Batman says as if it’s just some regular mission briefing and not _Damian_ they’re going to rescue.

“And what about me?” Surely Bruce isn’t going to waste the extra person who is able to help him to rescue their packs pup? Rescue his son?

“You are going to wait out here and-“

“No.” There is no way Dick is going to just wait while the others go in to rescue Damian. No way he isn’t going to do something to get him out and back with them.

“Nightwing you are unfocused and exhausted. You can stay out here to watch for if any backup comes but I am not risking you jeopardising-“ 

“I won’t jeopardise anything.” How dare Bruce think that he is unable to keep his mind of the mission? That he would do something that might damage their chances of getting Damian back?

“You do look like shit though,” Jason chimes in, as if this discussion has anything to do with him, “surely you can just leave it to us and then fuss on the pup once we get him back?”

“Stay out of this,” Dick snarls at Jason. And he actually snarls, which he can recognise probably isn’t the best evidence that he does have himself together and under control. But he doesn’t care. Because this is a member of their pack they’re talking about and he has to do everything in his power to make sure Damian comes home safely.

“Nightwing,” Bruce snaps, with the expectation that he will just fall back in line.

“No – you told me when you came back that I was as much the head of the pack as you are. And that means I get to have a say when it comes to decisions like this. And I’m going. I don’t care if you think otherwise because I’m going to go in there, whether it’s with you or after you leave. So unless you plan on knocking me out.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Bruce mutters.

“You can try.” He knows fighting Bruce right now isn’t going to help the situation any. But it’s always felt like his job was keeping the pack together while Bruce’s was keeping it in line. His responsibility to make sure all the members were taken care of while Bruce ensured they were able to withstand their crusade. He has to make sure Damian is safe and gets home and he will fight Bruce in order to ensure that.

There’s the sound of someone landing on the rooftop and Dick briefly registers that it’s Tim, whose approach becomes a lot more tentative when he realises the stand-off happening.

“What happened?” Tim asks quietly to Jason.

“The Bat doesn’t want Nightwing to go in because he doesn’t trust him to keep himself together, and ‘Wing took it about as well as anyone could have predicted.” Dick wants to snap at Jason for his comment but he also doesn’t want to turn away from Bruce. Doesn’t want to even give the hint of submission.

“Okay, I’ll go with him,” Tim says, coming in to stand at the side of them – his body language lightly submissive to both. “They’ve gotten better plans to the place, we’re going to need to split up once we go in. Batman can go with Red Hood and Nightwing can go with me.”  

Sure Dick knows Tim is selling it to Bruce that he will make sure Dick doesn’t get out of hand. But he doesn’t care. Not when if it means they can actually _go in_. If it means they stop wasting time talking and go save Damian.

“Aright. Red Hood is with me, Red Robin is with Nightwing,” Bruce agrees and Dick really just wants to get on with it. For all they know the traffickers might be moving the kids as they waited out here deciding how they were going to enter.

Batman finally makes the hand-gesture for them all to go in, Oracle on the comms telling them when the security is being disabled along their path.

Soon enough they reach the point where they have to split up. Barbara tells Batman and Red Hood to go left, and Red Robin and Nightwing right. For a moment Dick wants to question whether Barbara is trying to keep him away from where she thinks the kidnappers or Damian actually is. Her apparently having just as much doubt about his ability to keep it together as Bruce does.

They don’t have time for another argument though. And ultimately Dick does trust Bruce to get Damian out. And if something goes wrong he and Tim should be able to get to them to help.

He still doesn’t like the possibility of it being a ruse to keep him as out of the mission as possible. Even if he does follow Tim off to the right.

“Okay there should be a room off the hallway you’re in?” the second Oracle says, which means Barbara is guiding Bruce and Jason. Dick hates knowing that he’s probably right in that this is the path less likely to have Damian at the end. “It should be their server room – where you can plug us in and give us access to their systems, and also probably a more accurate map.”

Dick really hates being proven right.

Still – a more accurate map means they should be able to find Damian more easily. And if that’s the only reason to send them down this path than once it’s finished there will be no reason for the two of them not to double-back to help Batman and Red Hood. No reason for Dick not to help rescue Damian.

Plus, there’s guards in the room. Guards who are involved in the trafficking of _pups._ Involved in attempting to traffic _Damian._

Dick very much would like to show them what he thinks of that.

Tim glances at him and Dick knows it is just as much another check on him being able to cope as it is to check if he’s ready to go in.

Dick’s both. He’s okay and he’s ready. They’re going to kick these guys assess, get them to tell them where Damian is and then go rescue him.

They’re going to get Damian back.

Dick gives a nod. Counts to three and the two of them kick the door down.

He should be noticing all the ways Tim’s fighting style shows how much more accustomed he now is to fighting with his Titans than with his family. How while he can adapt it to fit with Dick’s own he is definitively adapting it. Dick should be noticing all the little ways that fact is shown.

Dick doesn’t care about that right now though. All he cares about is getting the guards down and finding out where Damian is.

The goons go down easily. Clearly not actually prepared to have two members of the vigilante community of Gotham taking them down at once. Certainly not when any backup they tried to call has their hands full with most of the other members in various locations throughout the hideout.

They should have thought better than to kidnap Damian Wayne if they weren’t ready to deal with that.

“Man and to think they were able to hide from us for all this time,” Tim says as he goes to plug in to the main computer. “Must have been more luck than skill.”

Dick ignores Tim’s words for the most part, only giving a non-committal hum of acknowledgement as his eyes track over the goons that are tied up.

Most of them are unconscious. And, as much as that means they won’t be causing any problems until the police arrive, it also means that they won’t be providing much information as to where the pups might be being held. Where Damian might be being held.

It frustrates Dick more than it really should, but it might be the faster way of finding out the information they need to rescue Damian.

He runs his eyes over the forms of the goons before noticing one of them stirring in a very conscious way.

“Where is he?” Dick asks, tugging the barely-conscious goon up to face him. 

“Wha?” the goon says and Dick can’t suppress a snarl at it.

“Tell me where you’re keeping the pups!” It’s a simple question. But for some reason the goon goes completely still, eyeing Dick warily – and if he would just give over where they’re keeping Damian Dick will happily let him go.

“Nightwing!” Tim protests, just as the goon mutters a lie of not knowing.

“Stay out of this Red Robin, just get that map up for me.” The goon knows. He has to. And Dick is going to get him to tell them where Damian is.

“Just let him go.” Tim says. Because of course he doesn’t want Damian back as much as Dick does. There very little love between them. Sure, Tim recognises Damian as part of the pack but he also never bonded with him like Dick did. Always saw him as a rival.

“No.” Dick’s voice is harsh and demanding. The one he uses when he needs to command loyalty from those beneath him. “He is going to tell me where they are.”

In the past Tim would have fallen in line immediately. Respect for one of the heads of the pack enough to make him buckle to Dick’s command. It’s not the past anymore though and when Dick brings a hand up to help _persuade_ the goon into telling him Tim is there to catch it.

“What are you doing?”

“Stopping you from doing something you will regret once this is over,” Tim says, trying to pull Dick back and off the goon. And if Dick wasn’t determined not to leave the goon he would have been able to.

“If he tells me where he’s keeping them this will be over immediately.” The goon needs to tell him where Damian is. He needs to tell them so Dick can go rescue Damian. So he can have his _pup_ back.

“Don’t make me do this,” Tim says and Dick realises Tim’s standing as if to challenge him. Tim would challenge him over this.

“Red Robin.” Doesn’t Tim get it? These people have taken Damian. They’ve challenged and threatened the pack and as a pack they have to make sure they know better than to challenge it again.

Tim doesn’t back down and neither does Dick. He isn’t going to just let a person who sided with kidnappers go when said person holds information that could tell them where Damian is. He isn’t going to let Tim win a challenge over that.

“We have the map.”

It takes Dick a second to realise it isn’t Tim or the goon talking but rather Oracle.

“What?”

“We cracked the encryption – wasn’t actually that hard – so we have the map. We know where they are keeping the pups.”

“Where?” Where are they keeping Damian?

“Ba- uh- we’ve already sent the information over to Batman and Red Hood. They’re heading there now but I can, well, I can tell you it as well, I guess.”

“Why didn’t you tell us first?” Why wasn’t Dick informed as soon as they knew the most likely place Damian would be? He could be being useful actually going to rescue him.

“You seemed a bit preoccupied. But I can lead you there if you’re ready?”

Dick realises he’s still holding the now likely useless goon. And with them having the map there’s no need to keep grilling him for information.

Tim only relaxes once Dick drops him back to the ground.

“I’m ready.”

“So not to ruin whatever is going on over there, but we have him,” Jason’s voice says through the comms.

“Already?” Tim quietly says but the comms amplify it so Dick can hear him clearly.

“Yeah, they weren’t super hiding him- oh give me a second- no-“

“Nightwing.” Damian’s voice is clear through the comms and Dick is so glad to hear him again. To know that, at the very least, he’s uninjured enough to talk.

“Are you okay?” He swears if they have hurt him-

“I’m fine. I just – thank you for your concern over me.”

“Nightwing, Red Robin, return to where we met, we’ll regather and then leave,” Bruce cuts in. And Dick doesn’t need to be told twice, already making his way back through the place as quickly as he can, leaving Tim to finish ensuring that all the goons are sufficiently contained until the police arrive.

Dick breaks out into a sprint when he actually can see Damian, and buries his nose into Damian’s hair when Damian basically throws himself into his arms. Dick breathing deeply to take in the scent of their lost pack member.

The scent of their pack is almost gone from Damian. The only scent Dick can really pick up from him is Damian’s own. And Dick wants to rub his own scent onto the pup, wants to get him to smell like pack again. He can’t though. Not until he takes his scent-blockers off and Dick knows he’s already pushing the risk of revealing their identities in his attention on Damian Wayne while still in costume and public.

“Nightwing,” Batman says and Dick knows a chastisement is coming. “Why don’t you take the pup back to his pack while I contact the Commissioner. I’m sure they will be grateful to have him back.”

It’s an out. An excuse to bundle Damian up and back to the manor. To bring him back to where they all know he will be safe without having to hand him over to the police to be brought back to them.

And Bruce is letting Dick do it while he handles the last clean up.

“Right away.”

Dick doesn’t need to actually tell Damian to follow him so he doesn’t bother. To be fair he struggles to put Damian down and not just carry him out. But he does.

They borrow the spare Robin costume from the Batmobile and swing home. Because Dick can respect that as much as he wants Damian to be safe and close by, Damian also needs the chance to be free again as well.

They get to the Batcave and Dick immediately peels of his scent-blockers. He doesn’t even bother taking off his costume before he’s grabbed Damian in a hug and starts working on rubbing his scent back onto him.

“Grayson!” Damian protests for a moment but Dick feels him relax into his hug after a moment, scenting him back. “I missed you too.”

“Don’t ever do that again to me. I can’t lose you.” He doesn’t know what he would do if Damian had of been lost for good. Already struggled so much merely with him missing.

“Don’t worry, you won’t,” Damian promises.

**Author's Note:**

> As always if you want to chat/send prompts/read ficlets my tumblr is: GoddessofRoyalty


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